Grief Counseling

Whether mourning the death of a loved one, or dealing with major life changes that have led to feelings of deep-set heartache and depression, grief counseling can help heal the scars that losing someone close to you can cause. Browse our directory for licensed grief counselors in close proximity to your current residence.

What Makes a Good Grief Counselor?

After the death of a loved one, it is natural to feel lost, anxious or even depressed. Often times it is helpful to seek advice from a professional counselor who is trained in the avocation of pain and grief management.

Choosing A Grief Counselors

The training and education that it takes to become a grief counselor is extensive and varies widely from doctor to doctor. The methods that work for one individual may vary with the next so it is important to thoroughly research each counselor in order to make an executive decision about which one is the best fit.

While reviews of certain counselors can be helpful, one of the best resources for finding a specialist with the right combination of credentials and personality is most often a family doctor. General Practitioners will often be able to suggest the top counselors in your area and are able to explain in detail what the abbreviations after a doctor’s name means.

If you are still unsure what counselor is best suited to your specific needs, online reviews of top counselors can offer insightful help. Often written by former patients, reviews can give insight into what methods a counselor uses, and allows patients to determine what they are most comfortable with. Sometimes it is necessary to try a couple counselors before finding one that is the right fit.

What is Grief Counseling?

Those who have recently suffered a loss often move through their grief in a cycle referred to as the Kübler-Ross Model. Often referred to as the five—or seven in some models—stages of grief, those grieving will find themselves experiencing symptoms including:

Counselors often see people who find themselves stuck in this perpetual cycle, and work to help them by breaking through the first four stages in order to reach the fifth and final stage of acceptance.

Grief counseling can be held in either one-on-one or group sessions, depending on both the situation and preference of those seeking counseling. For families suffering from a loss, group sessions are often the most advisable, as they allow the grief counselor to work with the entire family at once while simultaneously picking up any strain between family members that might otherwise go unaddressed in a one-on-one session.

Grief Counseling Links, Websites and Resources

Dealing with grief can be difficult for even the strongest among us, and once in a grief cycle it is difficult to break free. It is in no way a weakness to admit that you need help getting through a difficult time. In fact there are many benefits to grief counseling that professionals point to in helping people continue on with their lives.